Victorian TapestryWall TapestriesWilliam Morris Tapestry

How To Decorate With William Morris Tapestries

If you’re looking for a William Morris tapestry then you are not alone.
These tapestries have been called by some to be the most striking and iconic of all tapestry categories as they reflect the precise look that Morris intended.
There are qualities of a William Morris tapestry that captures the imagination of decorators and home owners and art collectors.
What are these qualities of these tapestries?

William Morris Tree of Life tapestry imageSee the Tree Of Life Morris and Dearle Tapestry here

The qualities of these William Morris wall hangings are:
1. The very unique “Morris style” of design:
Much of William Morris’ subject matter from his works in the Victorian age with Morris and Co and Edward Burne-Jones are of medieval key figures and people from mythology.
He strived to produce art that was unique and individual as a response to the conformity and monotony of machine replicated designs in the Victorian age.
The style he developed in his tapestries was unlike any other before him, and was labelled even the Morris style, and was considered the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in England in the Victorian era.
The Morris style may be described as the use of intricate details in the subject matter with an abundance of floral and foliage motifs.
An example is the Strawberry Thief Décor.

William Morris Strawberry Thief Décor tapestry imageSee William Morris ‘Strawberry Thief Décor’ here

In this work and others, you can see the intricate details of the birds and foliage, and the surrounding floral motifs which was a reinvention of sorts of the medieval mille fleur type background of medieval tapestries.
He used this technique in wallpapers, tapestries, stained glass works, and soft furnishings.
The style he developed was in part based on his collaboration with Burne-Jones, who co illustrated many of the designs created by Morris and Co.
After working with designs individually, together or in sequence with one designing the main figures, and the other designing the background.
2. A sense of “movement” in his art work:
There is a quality to the work of Morris and Co that gives an illusion to the viewer of a sense of movement.
Independent of the Morris style we have talked about just before, this quality makes the works of Morris timeless in their appeal.
The reason why his designs stands up to this day, is their aesthetic appeal. And a major part of this appeal is the use of composition to create a wonderful sense of movement and “aliveness”.

William Morris Woodpecker tapestrySee entire range of William Morris Tapestries here

In the William Morris Woodpecker tapestry above, we see this to beautiful effect.
The clever use of acanthus leaves, foliage and other natural elements create a sense of dynamic movement, as if the image was alive.
It creates a beautiful and most pleasing effect for the senses, and in the Forest, the Orange Tree, the Peacock, and series involving Arthur and the Round Table, the Holy Grail, Departure of the Knights and even the Adoration of the Magi images.
In all these works, there is a feeling of movement created from the interweaving of these elements with each other.

Ehret Die Frauen tapestry

Here in Ehreit Die Frauen or Women’s Worth tapestry, we see leaves used in the forest background as well as the intricate border.
They accompany the textures of the people’s garments very well.
The acanthus leaves are a part of ancient Roman art and culture, and were used by William Morris as one of his favorite motifs to create this effect.
It is a technique of achieving artistic beauty and visual interest to captivate the viewer and hold their attention and fascination.
3. A distinct look that transforms a “home” into a “castle”:
In keeping with the above qualities, a William Morris wall hanging gives a look which can create a distinct feeling that you’re living in a castle.
This quality of his tapestry works transports you in time and place in whichever room you are decorating with a William Morris tapestry.

The Ceremony tapestrySee entire range of William Morris Tapestries here

Their aesthetic beauty can have you feel as if you are walking along castle corridors and rooms in your very own home.
Filled with gorgeous detail, and again that sense of flow and movement in his composition.
It includes the ever present acanthus leaves in golden beige, this work shows the incredible beauty of Morris’ works.
If you pair a Morris tapestry with another in the same theme, or object that is inspired by castle life, then your sense of living in a castle is even more enhanced.
The steps are simple to decorate with William Morris tapestries:
1. Choose a tapestry that appeals to you
2. Select a tapestry rod and tassels
3. Measure the wall space to ensure that the tapestry will fit
4. Hang the tapestry and install the tapestry rod with the easy to follow instructions
5. Enjoy the room and living space with friends and loved ones
Many say that William Morris wall hangings represents one of the most distinctive and beautiful or eras of tapestry making, and is often compared to the great French and Belgian regions and eras of tapestry production.
So go for it and find a tapestry that can suit a large room, dining room, hallway, study, home office or other room to bring this distinctive beauty to your room or home.
Here’s another work by Morris and Co, Summer Quince tapestry:

William Morris Summer QuinceSee entire range of William Morris Tapestries here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *